What a great we had in 2011. Our 165 hours of flight time this year included flights in the Middle East, Mexico, New Mexico, Illinois and of course right here at home in Indiana. Midwest Balloon Rides flew more in Indiana than any other balloons in the state!
We took just over 1800 folks up in our balloons this past year which included 98 flights, 23 tethers and 6 glows.

Big News Items this year:
1. Crew chief Bob Hopkins took his first solo flight
2. Now commercial pilot Brad Chism was added to our team
3. Three couples started their lifes together in our balloons with a Wedding in the Sky
4. Four couples were engaged in the air
5. We did an in the air commercial for the FOX 59 Weather Team
6. The 99.5 WZPL Smiley morning Show was aired from the balloon with Smiley flying with us
7. The door basket was added this year, allowing us to provide rides to seniors and others
8. Our balloons now have hanging camera systems allowing us to video tape our flights
9. Downtown Indianapolis Flights were started in 2011
Look for many more flights, tethers and a few new surprises for 2012
We are in search of a few sponsors for 2012, companies who would like to see the folks of Indiana taking pictures of their message 30 feet wide in the air!

Indianapolis hot-air balloon team heads to Asian Cup 2011 tournament
Indianapolis, Indiana – December 30, 2010 — Tony Sandlin, a local hot-air balloon pilot and the owner of Midwest Balloon Rides, is pleased to announce that his team has been selected to participate in one of the world’s top soccer tournaments, the AFC Asian Cup Qatar 2011™.

This international event involves teams from 16 countries and is sanctioned and organized by The Asian Football Confederation, the organizing body of Asian football and one of six confederations making up the FIFA and the FIFA World Cup™. The event takes place from January 7-29 in Doha, the capital city of Qatar, which was just selected to host the 2022 World Cup™.

Sandlin was contacted by organizers of the event, who were looking for hot-air balloons of solid colors to participate in the tournament that will be broadcast around the globe. They had a difficult time locating a solid yellow balloon until they reached Sandlin in Indianapolis last week.

Fortunately Sandlin had both a yellow balloon and experience flying at international events in the United States, Canada and Mexico. He quickly accepted the challenge of transporting his balloon and crew some 7,600 miles away for the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

“This was a unique opportunity to participate in a world-class event and experience the excitement of combining my passion for hot-air balloons with energy of the World Cup in one of the fastest-growing countries,” Sandlin said. “We look forward to participating in the international festivities with other balloon teams from Europe and Australia and fans from dozens of countries across Asia.”

From its humble beginnings in 1956, the AFC Asian Cup has developed into the continent’s premier football tournament, bringing together the top national teams from the length and breadth of Asia to compete for one of international football’s most sought-after prizes every four years.

More information about the event is available on the official web site at: www.asiancup2011.com